Persephone
by LadyGrinningSoule
Summary: Thousands of years have past since Greek times, yet Hades hasn't found a queen. Unlike the myths, he never met a Persephone. While walking in a park a girl discovers that only she can see him, & soon she finds herself in a mess with Hades.


London England, 1954

One of the very first routemaster busses zoomed past as a group of teenage girls as they skipped toward Richmond Park. A cool breeze picked up and they pulled their jackets against their ankle length dresses. It was often that they would go hike around in the park when they had free time. Their favorite time to go was late at night, they savored the silence and escape from the city.

Though no one could tell what time it was; the sky was just as dark, and the water just as murky. The group of adolescents looked across a shallow creek. The other side was lined with concrete and a series of metal stairs that came up out of the water. That was all the girls saw, all the girls that is, except Kore. She saw one extra thing. She saw a dark figure on the other side that emanated an indescribably dark glow.

They walked through the shallow water, and approached the figure. It now became obvious that the figure was a cloaked man. The girl stared right at him, though he hadn't moved an inch since she'd spotted him. His eyes were completely covered by his cloak, and his face expressionless. She was fascinated by the man, yet wanted to be afraid. The other children had begun to leave, but she had the urge to stay. The girl hadn't known why she'd wanted to stay at the time, but the urge was so great she decided to. "I dropped my ring in the creek!" She called to them and pretended to look for it. "I'll just be a minute!" She almost smirked when only one person responded with a slightly annoyed "Okay."

The girl turned and looked at the man, and suddenly a flood of foreign thoughts entered her mind: _Death, Misery, and Isolation. _They weren't her thoughts, yet they made her feel like they had been. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the thoughts out of her head before looking up at the figure who, instead of looking across the creek as he had was now looking at her. "Who are you?" She asked and came up a couple steps closer to the man and looked him in the face. He wasn't frowning or smiling. No words came, no sound, no movement. _Pain, Loss, and Despair _Echoed in her mind

The adolescent girl sat on the rock across from the one he was sitting on and looked up at him. "You can't talk, can you?" She asked, he turned to look at her and opened his mouth. There was a despairingly choked sound of rushing air, and then he closed his mouth. _I cannot speak, though I can communicate, _the voice echoed. She reached out and touched his face, overwhelmed with curiosity. As she did, she felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water into her veins. She pulled her hand away and gasped. "What are you!" this time he didn't answer. She stood up and pulled back his cloak hood. It revealed a gray angular face with dark-navy, sparkling eyes and black hair that fell over his head like a waterfall. His eyes deepened to pits as they crawled upward to meet hers. She was so taken aback by his inhuman, yet mundane face she gasped again.

The girl stared for a long moment before he broke the silence. _I am Death. I do not want to hurt you or anyone you know, _the voice echoed, His thin hands reached up and began to pull his hood back over his eyes when she grabbed his wrist. "Don't." She whispered. She dropped his wrist and he let go of his hood. Suddenly, and uncontrollably the girl reached out and caressed his cheek, this time she wasn't overcome with was overcome with a dull, emotionless feeling. Of not warm or cold, not electric or dull, comforting yet not. She turned and sat just inches away and thought about what she was doing.

Death turned to her and cautiously grabbed her hand. _No one has ever stayed after I told them who I am. _She turned and looked at him. "Do you go by any other name?" she thought she saw his unmoving lips twitch up into the smallest smile for a moment. _I go and have gone by many names, but none chosen by me. Mankind has pinned me as a dark being, which ends and ruins all life. _She looked at him, "All life ends. And I suppose it's not your fault that it does." She smiled sadly.

_Do you go by any name? _The voice asked, she blushed and responded, "Yes, but I haven't ever liked it. My mother named me Kore." Something flickered in his eyes before he 'spoke'. _That is a very beautiful name, you should appreciate it more. _She frowned, "I really don't think that it-" _You should. _He interrupted. "I'm not sure what to say." Kore mumbled. _Just say that you'll appreciate your name. _He replied."Of course." She felt like a little school girl being caught lying. She wanted to make an excuse that she had to meet her friends, but there were so many questions that she wanted to ask.

There was a long pause before either spoke. Death pulled his cloak back over his eyes. _You are very beautiful, Kore. I must go soon, the day is coming._ He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. _Goodbye. _She blushed and looked up to him, "When can I see you again?" He paused and looked at the light beginning to peek through the trees. _I'm not sure. All I can say is that I'm found when no one expects me. _With that there was a tremendous flash of light, and then nothing. No sound, no color, no movement.

As Kore opened her eyes she had realized it was daytime. Definitely before noon though. She looked around and found that she was at the creek. Her eyes lit up as she slowly remembered the last night's events. She began to walk back to her home as well as wonder. How would she tell her mother that she had met death? More importantly, how could she meet him again? Kore thought about what he had said, about her name. Then began to wonder about all of the names he had had. "I wonder how many names he's had?" she mumbled as she tripped over a rock in the path. Just moments later the air around her seemed to answer, _Even if he wanted, there would be no way of knowing. _The sound was positively terrifying, yet impossible to explain how. Kore gasped and looked around. "Curious," she remarked and went on her way.

As Kore was attempting to fall asleep that night she couldn't help wondering if death was at the creek in Richmond Park again. She waited until she was sure that her mother was asleep and opened her window. Kore climbed out onto the roof below her window and shimmied down the terrace on the side of her house. She hit the ground running and didn't stop for anything until she got to Richmond Park. When she finally made it to the edge of the woods she had to stop to take a breath. Kore wheezed and coughed a bit before she stood up and walked into the trees. It took her a few minutes but, when she finally heard the trickling water of the creek she was ready to see him. Kore walked along the edge of the creek until she found the stairs.

There among the steps was he, in an ensemble similar to the one she had seen him in last. He had draped himself over a set of stairs with his hood almost completely pulled back and seemed to be utterly preoccupied by the night sky. She crept up and stood behind a tree for a moment before stepping into view. "You're here." She remarked. Death immediately looked in her direction, seemingly caught off guard. Kore glanced down at the shallow creek before she slowly made her way across to the stairs he was sitting on. He watched all the while as she sat down on the step below his and looked up. "The night sky is such a beautiful thing." He looked to her and nodded. _I completely agree. _His voice said, words unspoken, yet fully communicated.

_Why have you returned Kore? _He asked. Kore looked down at the creek before she answered. "I came back because of you." The truthfulness in her voice was almost unnerving. She turned and met his gaze, confusion now evident on his face. Death dared to follow up on her statement, _I don't understand... _He trailed off. "I don't much either, there's just something about you." Kore responded, she was just as confused as he was. He nodded in an attempt to show understanding, once again, though, the evidence of confusion took over. The two both looked up into the sky, Kore smiled to herself when she recognized the constellations. They stayed that way for a while before Death turned to Kore, _Where I'm from there's never any stars. That's one thing I like about this place. _Kore thought about that for a moment. She put a hand on his shoulder, and looked into his eyes; they were almost completely covered by his long hair that fell over his face in thin, dark tendrils. "Where on this Earth is there a place with no stars?" He looked at her like she was crazy. _I never said that I was from this planet. _He paused and looked up. _I am ruler of the underworld, I live there._ "The underworld sounds so dreary, you must really appreciate being able to come here." She remarked, he looked down at her again, _I do. _

By the time the night was over Kore had learned all about what it was like in the underworld and Death about what it was like in London. Kore could feel it when the sun began to rise into view. "You must show me around the underworld." She stated, quite fine with commanding a king. _If that is what you wish, _He responded. "Will you be here tomorrow?" She asked. _There is no way of knowing, _He turned towards the east, _I must go, farewell Kore. _She smiled at him and stood up, bushing herself off she said, "Goodbye, Hades." He turned to her, dumbstruck, and she smiled yet again. "I think I prefer addressing you by your Greek name over your occupation." And with that Kore made her way home.

When Kore arrived home she was forced to stay downstairs for the entirety of the day, under her mother's watchful eye. When Kore went to bed that night, she had to wait twice as long before she knew she could sneak out. Her mother stayed up extra late, and even peeked into her room before going to sleep. "She's too paranoid," Kore mumbled as she made her way to the park, she had the location of the creek memorized. She smoothed out her green dress as she made her way there. Her heart was thrumming with anticipation.

She smiled from ear to ear when she saw him sitting there. He looked over to her when he heard the water splashing around; Kore was jogging across to meet him. He smiled up at her and stood. _I was thinking you forgot about me for a while. _Kore over-dramatically sighed and made a dismissive gesture. "My mother freaked out because I was gone all night, again." She grabbed his hand and looked up at him. "So, I was thinking you could show me the underworld tonight." He smiled and brushed some hair out of his face. _That sounds wonderful. _With that the two vanished out of thin air.

They reappeared just outside of the underworld. When Kore looked over at Hades, she saw that he looked many years younger. Not even thirty. His features sharpened and his eyes darkened. His clothes changed drastically as well. Instead of being the image of the grim reaper, now he was wearing a dark poets shirt and black armor. She took him in for a moment before realizing she was staring and looked away. He smirked just a bit and spoke. "Welcome to the underworld," he looked down to see her reaction; she obviously hadn't even noticed that they were at the gates of the underworld. "I must warn you though," He said. "You'll probably see some things that you'd prefer not to, and I understand. I want you to know that nothing here can hurt you. You are a guest of their king and they will treat you so."

Kore took a deep breath and hooked her arm around his. She waited a moment and looked up at him. "You _can _speak! You liar!" She joked, giggling. He smiled a glistening smile and spoke, "Of course I can, just not in your world." She rolled her eyes, "Mhm, all part of the mysterious guy bit. I get it." He nudged her and she stuck her tongue out at him. After their laughing subsided he opened the large door, revealing the magnificently dark land that was the underworld. Hades led her inside, somewhat surprised that she hadn't seemed the least bit frightened.

He showed her the majority of the underworld, excluding the more gory areas such as the pit of Tartarus. After that he gave her a tour of his castle. All the while she would smile and listen to him tell stories about different areas. This confused Hades; Kore actually appeared to _enjoy _seeing the _underworld. _He hadn't even had a full conversation with a living being for hundreds of years, yet this girl not only accepts who he is, but his (very different) home as well. He didn't know what to think about her.

Towards the ending of his tour of the castle Kore would politely yawn and lean on him, her eyelids would droop and her breathing would slow. He knew she needed to sleep, and decided to cut the tour short and show her to a room where she could sleep. She quietly protested when he pulled her into his arms to carry her to a room. Kore was already asleep by the time he'd made it to a guest room. Hades gently laid her on the bed and pulled the covers over her. "Sleep well, my love." He whispered as he exited the room and made his way to his library.

Being the lord of the underworld meant that you didn't sleep like mortals. This is what bothered Hades as he waited for Kore to awake. He figured that if he wanted to he could sleep for nine hours a day, but it was just a waste of time for someone who didn't require it to live. As a result, the king of the underworld busied himself with a book as he waited.

Finally, many hours later he heard a stir in the hall. He opened his door to find a sleepy Kore wondering the halls of his castle. He cleared his throat and she turned around to face him, blushing. He walked over to greet her, and asked how she slept. "Surprisingly well for being in the underworld." She responded with a smile.

Suddenly a concerned look washed over her face and she looked around anxiously. "Oh my gosh, my mother is going to kill me!" she shrieked and started hastily looking for a door out. Hades followed her with an amused look on his face, when she saw this she turned to him. "Why so smug?" He chuckled and leaned against the wall casually. "Time here moves much slower than it does where you're from. What is a day here is only a few hours there." He pointed out. "Besides, even if you were gone as long as you'd thought, your mother wouldn't have remembered." Kore looked confused and he went on. "I am a god, I can control the memories of a mortal." A grin slid across her face. "I hope you haven't been messing with my memories." He grinned back at her, "Wouldn't dream of it."

After Kore had gotten her jacket and shoes she mumbled something about going back home, Hades took the hint. The thought of Kore leaving made Hade's heart ache, so, inspired by myth he decided to make one crazy move. As they made their way to the gate of the underworld Hades toyed with her long dark locks anxiously. Kore could feel the uneasiness radiating off him and stopped walking. "What troubles you?" she asked. "It's you that troubles me," he answered "You haven't eaten for almost two days." She looked down, "I'm not really hungry at all…" Kore mumbled. Hades slipped a small pomegranate into her hand and closed her fingers around it. "This was grown in my gardens, why don't you eat it when you do get hungry then?" She slid the fruit into her pocket and nodded. "I will, thank you." They continued toward the gates in silence, all the while Kore's hand entwined with his.

When they finally reached the door Kore reached up and wrapped her arms around Hades, pulling him into a hug and burying her face in his shirt. For some reason she felt like she wouldn't see him again. Hades dipped his head down into her embrace and savored the moment. "Farewell." He whispered when she pulled away. "Good bye, my king." Kore replied, and was transported back to the creek. Only this time she was alone. She pulled out her pomegranate and peeled back the skin to reveal the fruit beneath. She picked away at the fruit as she walked back home, slowly eating a total of seven pieces by the time she'd gotten home. Kore climbed up the terrace and to her window, after climbing in she looked out to the city one last time before she closed it and slid into bed.

When Kore awoke she found a note on her bedside table. She opened it to find it was a letter obviously written by Hades. It simply stated in beautiful calligraphy:

_You have eaten the fruit of my land, and with that comes a cost, for one season of every year, you must live in the underworld._

She stared at the note in disbelief, and set it down on her bed. Kore knew that there was something that she'd forgotten, but she hadn't thought that it'd be so serious. She pinched the bridge of her nose when she remembered the curse. _All those who eat the food of the underworld must stay for eternity. _Her brows furrowed when she realized the two didn't add up. One season every year versus staying for an eternity, she had a feeling that a certain king had something to do with that. Kore peeked into her mother's room to make sure she was asleep. The sun was only just rising, so she figured she had some time. She went into her room and shut the door. "Hades?" she mumbled feeling like a moron. "Hades?" she asked, clearer, yet still unsure. Kore was about to give up when she noticed he was sitting in her chair.

She turned to him and made her way over to the chair. "You gave me that pomegranate knowing full and well what it would do." She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Why?" The mere word itself seems so insignificant, but when she said it, it was so full of emotion; it was like she'd said it all right then. Tears were beginning to collect in her eyes, and when she attempted to blink them away a few escaped. Hades stood and shook his head, _I wasn't thinking about you, I was only thinking about myself. _His voice echoed in her head. _I haven't had a conversation with a living person in hundreds of years, and I couldn't lose you. You're the only one wasn't ever afraid. I'm so sorry. _She looked at him with tears in her eyes, thinking about what he'd just said. She wiped the wet from her face, "No," Kore said "Don't be sorry. I'll come to the underworld every year. _Voluntarily." _He looked at her like she'd gone mad. "Besides, I wouldn't mind getting away from my mother for a while." She smiled. "You!" he chuckled and scooped her into his arms, Kore squealed in delight. When he put her down she reached up and pulled his face to hers, and their lips met for the first time.

**Author's Note:** I wrote this for a summer writing camp that I am/was enrolled in. The female character's name is Kore, Kore is seventeen years old. In my research Persephone's childhood name was Kore or Cora. I believe that naming her Persephone would have given too much away, as a result Persephone is still going by her childhood name.

Please Review!


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